The present invention relates to electrically operated valves and particularly to valves of the type operated by a solenoid actuator and, more particularly, to solenoid operated valves intended for energization by a relatively low voltage power supply as, for example, the type found on-board a motor vehicle typically having a direct current voltage of about 12 to 14 volts.
Solenoid operated valves have found widespread usage in on-board vehicle applications for controlling flow of fuel vapor from a storage device to the combustion chamber inlet of an engine and for control of hydraulic pressure/flow in automatic shifting power transmissions on the vehicle.
Heretofore, it has been known to construct such a solenoid operated valve with the electrical coil and pole pieces secured to the valve body by disposing a housing thereover and deforming portions of the housing to retain the assembly. However, this arrangement has resulted in difficulty in accurately locating and tightly securing the interior components of the valve without the need for internal retainers prior to final assembly with the housing.
Thus, where internal retainers or fasteners have been needed to locate and secure the internal components, additional prohibitive costs have been experienced for high volume mass production, as is required for passenger car and light truck applications.
Thus, it has long been desired to provide a way or means of assembling a solenoid operated valve intended for energization by an on-board vehicle power supply operating at relatively low voltage in a manner which insures proper location and retention of the valve components and enables the final assembly to be achieved by disposing the housing for the valve over the components and deforming portions of the housing for retaining the assembly.